From a personal standpoint it wouldn’t be fair to pick some over the others,however in artistic terms surely we have missed great works from Jeff Buckly,Ian Curtis ,Brad Nowell and Big L.

probably cobain because i really enjoyed nirvanas music and found him really interesting.

michael jacksons death would have been more traumatic if he had died earlier in his life but at the point he died I was already sure he was a child molester and he was such a freak that i honestly didn't care much.

:p::rolleyes: @ 216

That is understandably true with no doubt. I guess there wouldnt be very many to choose from if we didn't count the suicides, overdoses, and so on. Very good edward! We should disregard that fact, and concentrate on their artistic contributions.

imho Les Paul

If we're thinking logically as in who had the most left to give and never got to contribute to the musical world the full extent of what they were capable of I'd have to say either Jeff Buckley or Big L.

Buckley was obviously a seriously talented musician as well as being able to produce stellar emotionally driven performances in both his lyrics and musicianship He in my eyes could easily have went on to have a long and illustrious career the likes enjoyed by Cohen and Waits. Perhaps even more successful as I think on a purely talent based level, he was superior.

Big L was one of the best rhymers in a packed NY scene at the time of his rise to prominence. Revered on the underground circuit; as a freestyler and a battle rapper, L had just signed with Jay-Z's Rockafella Records when he was murdered. With financial backing, better production and marketing he could easily have went on to become the most popular MC of all time or had he stayed with his street based style could have released several 'classic' albums

Completely agree about Jeff Buckley. I was excited about what he had recorded and what looked like a promising, rewarding career ahead of him.

I had also followed Rory Gallagher's career extensively and thought he still had yet to record his masterpiece.

Also have to list John Lennon among the most missed.

Elliott Smith, Layne Staley, Biggie Smalls, and Ol Dirty Bastard.

I guess I'm a little bit corrupted looking into all the conspiracy's surrounding his death aha. But the only thing I'd blame his dad on was saying he didn't like his nose so Michael changed to make him happy, unarguably though he's still the greatest musician of all time. According to the Guinness Book of Records.

Michael was pretty much born into music, shame really... never got much of a childhood.

Totally forgot about Lennon in my post, he's one of my most missed as well.